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Friday, April 09, 2010

Lori, from My Heart with Pleasures, recently went to an event I had never heard of before this year called Roundtop which apparently included fields filled with antiques and crafts...Someone, get this rock off of me, I want to come out now and play with the cool people in the know! She saw all these amazing projects, and posted about one she was planning on trying. I almost died and went to heaven b/c I LOVED her idea, and I had everything I needed to make the project at my house. It all started with Regan's frames, with left over supplies that led to a chalkboard clipboard, with left over supplies that led to a silver tray chalkboard menu 'thingie'.
I had this 'silver?!?!?' platter I bought at the Relay for Life Garage sale last fall, thinking there was surely something I could do with it. It was very tarnished.
I got it home, and I scrubbed that puppy with toothpaste...my cure all for all things tarnished. It has NEVER failed me before this event. It didn't make a DENT. I gave up, and threw the tray in a box to take back to our next Relay garage sale. Ugh.
Then Lori posted about these silver trays she saw all over the festival that people had taken and sprayed the bottoms of with chalkboard paint. You can use the chalkboard portion to write menus etc on, it was perfect.
I pulled the tray out of the garage sale box (I knew I could never safely throw anything out again after I started reading Lori's blog!). I did a little research, and found for tarnish, you can make a baking soda paste, and let is sit for an hour on your tarnished surface. With nothing to lose....I made my paste, and left it all night. The next morning I scrubbed. Nothing. I even tried a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser which has erased everything I've ever tried to erase! I made another paste, but this time-I got out the Brillo pads. Look, I didn't care, but you probably shouldn't let me around your cleaning supplies b/c I have a bull in a china cabinet sort of cleaning philosophy-what doesn't destroy it-makes it cleaner. Two Brillo pads later, this is as good as it got.
Let's call it vintage. I left the bottom tarnished, thinking this might help the spray stick down better. I didn't know how it was going to work with that smooth surface to adhere to!
I used painter's tape to try to line the edges b/c I had a spray paint. I'd probably buy a brush on, canned paint if this were my only project, but this worked out fine for my purpose. I tried to curve it along the edges of the scallops.
I took it out, and sprayed it...once....
Peeled away, and I was impressed.
For this little sliver of a tray, I thought it might be a cute way to house a few cheeseballs inside liners at a wine and cheese party, and then write out the cheese names....or...if you are me....Easter candy...because that's how I roll.
Lori, thank you so much for sharing your creative finds! I'm still loving and enjoying your blog, and being inspired daily!

10
comments:

You beat me to it. I haven't had the time to try it yet. Looks great! One layer of spray only! Who'd of thunk it. I think it may be a pewter tray, they do not polish. And they are not supposed to go in the dishwasher, that may be what someone had done and then gave up. Good news for you though. Wonderful!